Career Stats Team Williams Nationality Japanese Podiums 0 Points 0 Grand Prix entered 1 World Championships 0 Highest race finish 10th Highest grid position 19th Date of Birth 11/01/1985 Place of Birth Aichi

It is unlikely that Kazuki Nakajima would have come to Williams' attention but for his relationship with its engine partner Toyota.

But a team of Williams' pedigree would not sign a driver purely to keep a supplier happy, and the squad believes in Nakajima's potential.

The Japanese rookie made his Formula 1 debut at last year's Brazilian Grand Prix after Williams' retiring race driver Alex Wurz decided to step down early.

Although Nakajima had set some eye-catching times in testing and practice for Williams, being elevated to the race seat at an unfamiliar track was a big step.

There were some very public blips – a poor 19th on the grid and a collision with his mechanics at his pit stop – but Williams was impressed with Nakajima's pace and spirit as he charged through the field to 10th and set the fifth-fastest race lap.

The team had insisted that his Interlagos outing was not an audition for a 2008 race seat, but Nakajima's speed certainly helped his cause, and within weeks he was announced as a Williams race driver.

Ironically Williams lost its Honda engine supply 20 years ago when it refused to sign Nakajima's father Satoru.

That's not the only irony about Nakajima junior's career, though, for while his father was a Honda protégé, the company's arch-rival Toyota has taken Kazuki under its wing.

Honda has benefited from Japan's fervent support for Takuma Sato, and Toyota will be hoping that Nakajima gains a similarly large home following.

Plus with Williams on the up and the works Toyota team still treading water, being farmed out to the customer team looks like a good deal for Nakajima.

Japan has been crying out for a consistently successful F1 driver for many years, and Nakajima is in a better position to succeed than most of his forerunners.

Having arrived in F1 earlier than even he expected, though, he has to regard 2008 as a learning season.

The early years

After winning the domestic Formula Toyota series, Nakajima arrived in Japanese Formula 3 for 2004 and dominated his first two races.

More wins and a runner-spot finish in the 2005 championship followed before he headed for the Euro Series in 2006.

Once again Nakajima started strongly, taking a win in the fourth round, but he also had a habit of getting into scrapes.

That fast-but-erratic reputation was underlined when he moved on to GP2 for 2007, by which time he was dovetailing his racing with extensive F1 testing for Williams.

He established himself as GP2's top rookie, taking a string of mid-season podiums and claiming fifth in the championship, but there were many collisions along the way.

Although Nakajima would have been a title favourite for 2008 had he stayed in GP2, Williams and Toyota decided he was ready to step straight into F1.

He certainly has the speed for the top level, but will have to eradicate the wayward streak that has blighted his junior career.

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